"I don't want to make a fool of myself on national television" Sandhya Mridul

Outspoken, trendy and in your face… that's Sandhya Mridul for you. Always willing to take on new challenges, the bindaas actress has swiftly moved on in life from tv to films and now she's also grabbed the opportunity to be a star contestant on Sony's Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. Sandhya will be seen matching steps with choreographer Javed. Not being a great dancer, she's having a real tough time getting her steps right on Bollywood numbers. With just a week left for the show to go on air, the spunky actress is busy with nonstop exhausting rehearsals. Here in a candid chat with Rachana Trivedi, Sandhya bares her heart out and shares all her insecurities. You're coming back on television after a long gap. What made you take up a dance reality show? Television was never a bad medium for me. I've never danced, so it'll be great fun. I always take up projects to have a good time. In this show too, I'll try and keep that in mind. They had approached me for the first season as well, but I couldn't take it up due to prior commitments. You sound nervous…will you take the competition seriously? I'm thrilled and nervous. I'm not a good dancer but will try hard to live upto my choreographer's expectations. I don't want to make a fool of myself on national television. Initially, I took it lightly but now have pulled up my socks. Is dancing…that too salsa your cup of tea? I love dancing on Bollywood numbers and Jhalak…is a great platform to learn Salsa and belly dance. You're competing with brilliant dancers. Any insecurities? All the contestants are brilliant dancers so this time it's going to be a tough competition However, my choreographer never makes me feel insecure or uncomfortable. What gives you more creative satisfaction, is it acting or dance reality show? I feel both are forms of my creative side. As an artist, I want to experiment with different genres of entertainment. Acting is my passion whereas dance is a great stress buster. Any goof-ups while rehearsing? There are innumerable times, but the most interesting one was a few days back. I had to move my hand up and ended up hitting hard on Javed's (choreographer) nose. Most of the time, I try to do right steps but end up hitting him either on shoulders or knee. Are you happy with your choreographer? Javed is a brilliant dancer and we share a great rapport with each other. He's taking great pains to teach me salsa and is a hard task master. He's very well versed in his skills. Let me tell you one thing that all the contestants are very jealous of me as I got the most handsome partner. It's feels great to work with him. Have you ever come across any other show as strong as Koshish…ek asha? You'll no more see me playing the role of a traditional bahu as I can't wear heavy sarees with pink lipstick all my life. We've always seen you doing non-stream cinema. So, now after taking up Jhalak are you going to sideline your film career? I always wanted to do character oriented roles. Television was a great medium to prove myself as an actress but Bollywood was my ultimate destination. I don't want to only sell myself as glamorous doll. Sandhaya, a better actress or a dancer? Better actor. Dancing on such a big stage is a challenge for me. Have you ever participated in any dance competition? I used to participate in dance competitions during my school days. Ranjan Negi thinks that you're going to be his toughest competitor. Your take on it… Being a sportsman, he's very focused towards his aim. He's going to be a dark horse of this show. He has that winning spark in him. While juggling between films, isn't it difficult to squeeze out time for rehearsals? It's quite difficult but I'm trying my best. I shoot for films the whole day and rehearse at night. Any winning strategies? I'll just concentrate on my performance and will leave rest to God and the audiences'. Is marriage on the cards for you anytime soon? No. At the moment I just want to concentrate on my work.